Posted 08.19.08

Morgan County Family Goes Green In a Big Way
By Mary King

BERKELY SPRINGS, WV - A Morgan County family is taking the town of Berkeley Springs to new heights with their own, giant wind turbine in their backyard.

The Godman family is setting a precedent in Morgan County by going green in a big way. Mike McKechnie of Mountainview Builders says, “This will be the first tower we've set for a customer in our county, and it's a really cool example of what you're average American can do to be less dependent on foreign oil and independently generate some of your own energy."

The turbine is a 100- foot wind power generator that builders say cuts utility costs between 20 and 30 percent annually while taking a big step to help the environment.

Mckechnie added, “It's the same energy from the wind as opposed to Allegheny who's buying it from a larger energy corporation, which ultimately means that someone is burning coal. Here there's no coal being burned. It's just the wind and you get the same energy.”

Mckechnie explained that the cost of making that energy is about $20,000 for the 100-foot tower. Most of the expense is in the tower and in the big concrete pad.

The initial cost for a wind tower may seem expensive at first, but family's like the Godman's are looking forward to the future benefits for the environment and their family.

Diana Godman said, “I hope people start to realize that you need to do something. You can't just let someone else do it. We're lower-middle class and we're doing something about it.”

Mountainview Builders estimates that, based on current utility rates, you'll get back what you put into the wind tower in somewhere between 10 and 17 years.

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